The Patriotic Consciousness Association of Liberia (PACA), has condemned the recent flare of violence at the headquarters of the former ruling CDC Party where law enforcement officers of the Liberia National Police (LNP) were “brutally resisted” in their move to effect ‘search and seizure warrant’ on suspected drug dealers.
The organization is calling on stakeholders, including political parties to respect the rule of law and take control of their respective constituents.
It can be recalled that sometime this week, Police officers, attempting to enforce a ‘search and seizure warrant’ in a community along Tubman Boulevard were “violently resisted” by a group occupying the compound of the former CDC Party, resulting in unfortunate injuries, both to police officers and resistant CDCians.
PACA statement reveals its initial probe into the recent crisis established the unwholesome exchanges between state security and the CDC-compound dwellers regrettably led to fatalities and disruption of peace, as well as normal traffic and business activities in that busy corridor.
The Patriotic Consciousness Association of Liberia (PACA), averred that, whatever the truth of the situation pending an independent investigation, one notable attribution to elements within the CDC was the barrage of stones and other deadly missiles thrown at the police officers from within the CDC compound, which clearly defined the calculated involvement of the party members or sympathizers using the premises as a ‘no go zone’ to state security.
PACA expressed its total disgust and that of the peaceful general public, whose movement along that stretch of road linking Paynesville, Congo Town, and upper West Wing of Monrovia was completely obstructed by the hooliganism of the CDC-connected elements, leading to loss of property and fatalities.
This, the institution noted is something that is unwarranted within the current volatile society.
The Pro-democracy Organization cited a specific unbelievable scene of the CDC-oriented chaos, when the uncontrollable overzealous partisans, barricaded themselves behind the walls of the compound and flatly rejected the life-threatening intervention of one of their senior party executives and third highest ranking member of the Liberian Government.
Representative Cllr. J. Fonati Koffa, Speaker of the 55th Liberian National Legislature, who had moved in to persuade the aggrieved partisans to abandon their unlawful challenge to law enforcement operations was resisted.
PACA wonders, who is actually in control of activities now at the CDC Headquarters, where the party’s operations and vocational rehabilitation training for its vulnerable youthful members are expected to be taking place, but to no avail.
The Patriotic Consciousness Association of Liberia’s (PACA) statement emphasized the need for constructive engagement by the CDC Leadership with law enforcement officers to remove a marauding gang of lawless young people who have now taken the party headquarters for their protected petty and hideout crimes against peaceful citizens, something which is unlikely to be with the official knowledge of party leaders.
PACA then called on the CDC Leadership to coordinate with state security authorities to launch a joint cleaning-up exercise at the headquarters to weed out these petty criminals inhabiting the premises and clear the party’s image of consistent lawlessness.
PACA recalled the CDC Manifesto of strict compliance with the law and peaceful conduct upon which ordinary citizens rallied support for Former President George Weah, leading to his six-year reign.
The organization insisted that if former President Weah’s surge of comments pronouncing his return to the presidency must be realized by his followers, including former closet lawmakers, the mantle of peace which brought Weah to power must be the hallmark as compared to “incitement to violence and intolerance of the law”.
The institution reflected on the peace and stability that reigned in the last six years of the former administration of CDC, under its Political Leader and renowned Peace Icon, George Manneh Weah.
The grassroots organization then prevailed on the current leadership of the presumed largest political grouping in the CDC to abandon the current violent and inciting method of seeking local support and international attention by making wildcat statements and actions that oppose peaceful adherence to the rules of law.
PACA is at the same time challenging police and state security authorities to continue to exercise maximum restraints in dealing with critical circumstances that have the potential to balloon into chaos, as was recently seen at the CDC Headquarters.
The organization is, however, challenging the Liberia National Police to expeditiously probe and charge individuals reported arrested and linked to the recent violence to a court of competent jurisdiction for vindication or sentence, as may be deemed fit under the law.
Meanwhile, PACA has disclosed that programs for the impending induction of The Reconstituted National Executive Council and The Political Social Action Committee will take place shortly at its Transit Point One, in Margibi County.
